The Little Rock Line

[OldEastRR]

If you're going for the history aspect, I'd orient the tracks more toward the old connection, angling the industry a bit more so the "old line" is the straight through.

I like the concept though!

I'm with Ed. Make the abandoned line parallel or nearly parallel to the Rock, angling the industry as well as its spur the same way.
Ver 1: A straight line (parallel to Rock) from where the dotted line now meets the layout edge to just north of the current abandoned diamond. Relocate industry on opposite side from where it is now. You can use a partial tank on the layout edge, with 2 whole ones  in line with it and close together, making the suggestion it's a row with a lot more tanks (or siloes) just off the layout. This would also move the building and tanks away from the yard throat, which would make it easier to get to in case of accidents.
Ver. 2: Same as above except the abandoned line is moved slightly north moves a little bit so the left end of it runs right at the edge of the layout then continues on straight to another abandoned crossing of the purple line. In this case the connector is near this former junction on the purple line, running from there to the abandoned line (like an interchange track). This would make the local go way down the purple line as a switchback to get to the plant, adding more time and complication to the local job. Especially since he'd need dispatcher clearance from the purple line.
Ver. 3: Same alignment as Ver 1, but the left end of the abandoned line has no connection - it ends where the dotted line ends.  The joining track is on the other end, direct from Rock trackage, using either the former interchange track or a brand new connector put in by the Rock. This would be because the Rock doesn't want to mess with running on other railroads. Of course, this makes the local job much easier and faster, so depending on your satisfaction level for complicated ops, this give you another choice. However the tail track to get to the building spur isn't very long, so switching multiple cars in/out of it would take some doing.
Disclaimer: I like to make layout tracks straight lines as much as possible.  This abandoned line would be a perfect straight line. Just like real railroads.

[Bendtracker1]

This weekend I got started on the fertilizer plant.
Saturday night I ripped out track needed for the addition in Haskell and I spent the majority of Sunday afternoon re-working the sidings.

I was able to get the cork and turnout for the Shoofly installed and then got most of the cork tacked in place.




I also worked on the south end of Haskell siding removing two turnouts and the short spur for Ghuntz Implements.
Here's an overall shot some of the track just tacked down to see how things will work.



Before proceeding I'm gonna need to break down and get some of the spherical tanks and tank car loading platforms built so I can decide where to install the turnout. A building for the hopper unloading spur will need to be mocked up as well.



As always, more on the Blog...

[Bendtracker1]

After getting the basic trackwork laid out, I needed to figure out where to install the two sidings. So this past weekend I started working on the two tank car loading platforms, then got started making some mockups of the hopper unloading shed and storage bins.

Here's an overall view of the area.



I made a few blocks of wood for the hopper unloading station and elevator along with four 1" PVC tubes for the storage bins. The shorter block will also have a corrugated lean-to shed to keep the material dry while unloading it. But I'm still debating what I'll do for the actual elevator?






More on the Blog...

[eja]

Those tanks remind me of the three round tanks at a refinery in Philadelphia that were painted white with red stitching on them so that they resembled a baseball. And of course they had a Phillies emblem on them.

[Bendtracker1]

LOL, that's clever.
I had at one time given thought about painting one yellow and adding the classic smiley face to one of them?
Might have to think about that some more.

[3DTrains]

I had at one time given thought about painting one yellow and adding the classic smiley face to one of them?

Or if you're not feeling the love, you can paint one as an 8 ball.

Cheers!
Marc - Riverside

[Bendtracker1]

Or if you're not feeling the love, you can paint one as an 8 ball.

Cheers!
Marc - Riverside

Hmmm?

[C855B]

Not that there isn't a prototype, more or less:



Tipton, MO.

[Bendtracker1]

[Bendtracker1]

After getting one of the spherical tanks and the two loading platforms assembled then making the mockups of the hopper unloading facility, I could see that it might be better to reverse the purpose of the two sidings.
 
The hopper unloading buildings actually fits better at the end of the track.  With only the tank car unloading platforms on the other siding, this leaves me more room for the spherical tanks and a small pump house. 
 
While the big tanks probably would NOT have been built this close to the tracks, one has to deal with compression.





After getting things rearranged, I had to try it out.  I found out that with the hoppers at the end of track, and following FRA rules of not having the locos coupled directly to a tank car, I will have to have the cars blocked at El Dorado so that there will be hoppers (or a buffer car) on the head of the train that I can use to work the tank car siding if there are no hoppers called to be set out that day. Otherwise if there are hoppers to be picked up, they can be worked first.
 
Let's take a look at how the local handles this new job.  I used the max amount of cars (2 hoppers and 2 tanks) to see how things fit.  After the Haskell Turn pulls into the siding at Haskell it uncouples the new cars and pulls forward then reverses onto the new Shoofly.





First thing is to switch out the tanks cars.





Next comes the hoppers.  First they set out the tank cars on the old main and swap the hoppers, then recouple..........Glad they left the old main intact.





With this done, they head back to Haskell siding and place the cars on what will be the rear of the train when they leave for El Dorado.



I think this will work just fine.

[Philip H]

Nice solution Allen, and nicely photographed.

As to the tanks . . . whne one considers that Rule 1 always applies, and that the KCS main in Baton Rouge splits the Exxon Refinery in half, I'd say you can put the tanks pretty much anywhere. The only constraint is that you probably need to leave room around any cylindrical tanks for retaining berms. I don't think the spheres ever had them.

[LIRR]

I should have patented the solid-wood-core construction method........ oh well

[Bendtracker1]

Nice solution Allen, and nicely photographed.

Thanks Philip!

As to the tanks . . . whne one considers that Rule 1 always applies, and that the KCS main in Baton Rouge splits the Exxon Refinery in half, I'd say you can put the tanks pretty much anywhere. The only constraint is that you probably need to leave room around any cylindrical tanks for retaining berms. I don't think the spheres ever had them.

I do think they will be fine?  They just look huge and out of place at the moment.
But I do have my license handy.....just incase.

As for the berms, that thought crossed my mind as well?  I need to do a little googling and see if I can find any with berms, but I think I will be able squeeze some smaller ones in if needed.

 

[Bendtracker1]

I should have patented the solid-wood-core construction method........ oh well

It's never too late. 
As before, thanks again for the ideas. 

[Philip H]

I've never seen berms on spherical tanks.